Field of Invention
The invention pertains in general to networked advertising and in particular to methods of protecting the privacy of mobile device users.
Description of Related Art
Information provided by mobile devices can be used for a number of purposes, such as understanding the way consumers interact with mobile devices and mobile applications, the selection of custom content and advertising targeting. However, consumers are rightfully concerned about privacy issues related to the types of information which may be collected and where that information may be transmitted.
Collecting the exact geolocation of a mobile device is just one example of the type of information collection which may make people understandably uncomfortable. What is needed is a method for enabling a mobile device to transmit enough information so that an analysis system can perform operations such as audience analysis, reporting, content customization and selecting advertisements for delivery to the mobile device, without compromising the privacy of the mobile device user.